


So Close!

by BeautyAndStrength



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Almost Kiss, Gender-Neutral Reader (?), Other, Season 9
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-07
Updated: 2018-11-07
Packaged: 2019-08-20 12:12:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16555541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeautyAndStrength/pseuds/BeautyAndStrength
Summary: Reader is left behind to do research in the Bunker, bored beyond belief, until Castiel stops by and offers his help.





	So Close!

**Author's Note:**

> OK, so this was a story that I wrote several years ago, and people are still begging me for a sequel (once you finish it you'll see why and no doubt will do the same thing). But unfortunately, I don't have a sequel planned. I mean, I do have a skeleton of an idea for a sequel (really, just a few bones), but no flesh to put on it. So as of right now, nothing solid is planned yet. So I am putting it down as a single chapter story for now. However, I will come back and edit it into a two chapter story if something comes to me. So, keep an eye out, just in case. 
> 
> As you can see, I put a question mark after the gender-neutral tag. That's because when I first wrote this story, I wrote it with a female reader in mind. However, when I re-read the story, I realized that there was nothing that solidly confirmed the reader's gender as female. There may be a few passages that sound a little more like a female reader, but otherwise the reader's exact gender is not really specified. So, you can imagine them anyway you want. 
> 
> Also, there are one or two swear words in here, but nothing worth getting your pants twisted over.

It was a very quiet day at the bunker. The boys had left you there on your own as they went out to try to find more information about Metatron.   
  
The reason why they had left you behind was because the last time you had accompanied them you made a mistake and nearly got killed and they didn't want that to happen again. Plus, they probably didn't want you to make another mistake and screw up whatever plan they had come up with, as you suspected.  
  
You were not very happy about staying behind. You protested, saying that since you had met them, near death experiences were just a regular part of your life now and you could take care of yourself. But they were persistent, especially Dean. Man! Dean was like the annoyingly over-protective big brother you never had. Sam was protective too, but not to the extent Dean was. He was the kind of guy that would greet your new date with a suspicious scowl and a gun tucked into his belt, almost like the over bearing father with a shotgun who wasn't afraid to protect his daughter. However, although he may be a little bit over paranoid (this job will do that to you), his heart was in the right place and you knew he was just doing that to keep you safe.   
  
You smiled as you thought about those two guys. Honestly, you loved them like brothers and you were thankful that you had met them. Especially because if it wasn't for them, you would have had your guts ripped out by a hungry ghoul. So yeah, you were thankful. You smiled again, then you looked down and your smile was replaced with groan as you looked at all the papers and books that lay scattered on the table in front of you right next to your laptop, remembering the other reason why the boys left you behind: research.  
  
You fumbled through the clutter then racked your fingers through your hair. You hated doing research, especially this. You didn't understand any of this. These were Kevin's notes, the ones he wrote when he was translating the tablet. It was all way over your head. Kevin was a freaking genius, even before he became a prophet. So, his notes made no sense to you. You were smart, no doubt about that, but you weren't  _that_ smart. And since he was no longer here, it made it all a bit tougher. You sighed; how you wished that little mutant was here right now. Obviously, he knew what all of it meant and he could have helped you out, like, a lot! But, you were on your own and it was proving to be a difficult task. Especially since your brain didn't seem to be working right now, which was annoying.  
  
You let out another sigh then decided to get up and walk around. You figured if you left the research alone for a while, it would help clear your head and maybe make you more focused. You stood up and started just walking in circles, aimlessly. You then started looking through the bookshelves hoping that you would find something that could help you figure out how to translate Kevin's notes, or at least find something to keep you occupied until your brain starts working again.   
  
After searching for a while, you found an old, thick and very dusty bestiary book about all the different freaks you had encountered, as well as some you had not. Not yet, anyway. You flipped through the pages and cringed when you looked over the pages about ghouls, remembering your little run in with them earlier. Good Lord! You hated ghouls! You kept looking through the book, mesmerized by the beautiful if somewhat spooky illustrations. It was then that you decided to look at it later and continue with your research, as much as you hated it. You closed the book and placed it in its' spot on the shelf. As you did, you suddenly felt like someone was in the room with you. You spun around and came face to face with a familiar person, standing awkwardly a few feet in front of you in his long tan trench coat, his blue eyes staring at you with curiosity. You let out a gasp when you saw him standing there.  
  
"Sheesh, Cas! Could you please not do that!"  
  
"My apologies, (Y/N). I didn't mean to scare you." He said apologetically.   
  
"It's fine. How did you get in here, anyway? I thought you couldn't teleport anymore."  
  
"I can't. I came in through the front door."  
  
You frowned. "You did?" He nodded. "Wow, you must be a ninja or something because I did not hear you come in."  
  
Castiel did one of his traditional head tilts that you found to be simply adorable. "It is impossible for me to be a ninja, (Y/N). I am not of Japanese heritage nor is my vessel of that heritage either."  
  
You laughed at his usual display of naivety. "No, I suppose you're not." You said as you continued laughing. You saw him blush a little bit since he realized that he must have said something wrong. But you gave him a 'don't worry about it' look. "I guess angels are just naturally light on their feet then, right?"  
  
He gave you a small smile. "Most likely."   
  
You returned his smile. "Well, I'm glad you're here. I could use the company. This place is like a tomb without anyone else here."  
  
"Sam and Dean left you alone?" He asked. You nodded. "Why?"  
  
"This is why." You said, motioning to the clutter of paper and books that were scattered all over the table. "The boys want me to try to figure out what the heck Kevin had translated from the tablet so far." You leaned against the table. "But honestly, I have no idea why they thought I would be the best person to figure this out. I'm no genius, this is all way over my head. Which is another reason why I'm glad you're here; I could use all the help I can get."   
  
"I'll do whatever I can." He said, walking over to stand next to you.  
  
"Thank you. You can begin by interpreting Kevin's notes." You said, handing him the notes. He took them from you and looked them over. "Can you figure them out?"  
  
He shook his head. "Sorry, I can't."  
  
You let out a groan. "This is ridiculous! I have no idea what to do and I'm not getting anywhere. If Kevin was here he'd figure it out in a heartbeat. I wish he was here! I can't do this, I just can't! Besides, I can't seem to focus; my brains not working today and I don't know why!" You were getting frantic and frustrated. You slumped yourself down in the chair and buried your face in your hands. You felt your throat clench and tears start to form. ' _Oh gosh! Don't start crying! Don't you dare start crying, you pathetic wimp!"_ You screamed at yourself.   
  
Cas pulled up a chair and sat down next to you. "Don't worry, (Y/N). We'll figure this out."  
  
You let out a weak laugh. "No, we won't. Gosh, Cas! I'm so useless; I can't do anything right."  
  
"You're not useless."   
  
"I kind of am." You said. "Do you know the other reason why the boys left me here alone? Because the last time we were in the field I screwed up and nearly got killed. And I most likely would have done the same thing this time. Yeah, I'm useless. And now, here I am being all whiny about it." You ran your hands over your face. "Gosh, I am such a loser!"  
  
"You're not a loser, (Y/N). And you're certainly not useless. You've been very helpful to the Winchesters in the past. You helped them catch that ghoul, remember."  
  
You shuddered at the memory. "That was an accident."  
  
"But you've still helped plenty of other times. And you've done so much more and proven yourself many times. Sam and Dean always tell me just how happy and thankful they are to have you with them, and I agree with them." You looked at him curiously. "You've always been good with people. You have this soothing effect on them that makes them want to trust you. It works for questioning witnesses and making negotiations. And you've certainly had to do more than your fair share of that." You rolled your eyes; that was an understatement. "You care about others and you're loyal to them. And you're intelligent enough that you know what to say. As Dean would say, "you are the glue that prevents this nuthouse from falling apart", or something like that."  
  
You looked at him in awe. "Do you really mean that?"  
  
"Every word."  
  
"Well if I'm so helpful, why can't I figure out these damn notes?"  
  
"Well, nobody can do everything. As Sam would say, "everyone has their bad days". I'm sure it will come to you."  
  
You looked at him for a moment then smiled. "Thanks, Cas." He returned your smile. Then, without even thinking, you leaned forward and wrapped your arms around him in a warm hug. Cas was taken off guard by this sudden display of affection so it took him a while to return it. After a few moments of this, you pulled away and Cas just sort of stared at you. Suddenly, a frown crossed his face and he looked down and put his hand on his chest.  
  
"Are you OK, Cas?" You asked concerned.  
  
"I don't know." He said. "My heart just started beating really fast."  
  
You paused "Does that happen often?"  
  
"Yes. It usually gets worse when I'm near you."   
  
You eyebrows shot up and you felt a little blush creep in. "Is that so?" A small smile crossed your face.   
  
"Yes." He said, himself also smiling. "When you hug me, touch me, smile at me, speak to me or even just look at me, it gets worse."  
  
"Does this make it worse?" You asked, gently placing your hand on his arm. You saw him blush at your touch and you couldn't help but smile at it.  
  
"Yes, it does." He said. "And I also get a funny feeling in my stomach. It's like hundreds of insects are crawling around inside me. But, I kind of...like it"  
  
"It would have been better if you said butterflies flying around inside you, but that's close enough." You said with a smile. None of this was really a surprise to you. It had always been a suspicion among you and the boys that Castiel might have had a little crush on you that he just didn't know how to express or deal with. But, you had to admit, it was so much better hearing from him. "You know what, Cas?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"You give me those exact same feelings." You said shyly. "It's what happens when you care about someone very much. I believe you were human long enough to know what that means."  
  
He smiled. "Yes, I was." You smiled at each other then his smile faded. "(Y/N), you remember that reaper that I...uh, slept with?"  
  
You rolled your eyes. "You mean the one who tried to kill you afterwards? Or, did, I should say."  
  
"Yes. Well, I didn't have these feelings when I was with her. They have always been with you. And I've had them since long before I became human."  
  
"I know."  
  
He frowned. "You know?"  
  
You nodded. "Yes, I've always known." He smiled at you and you smiled back, lowering your eyes. Suddenly, Cas placed his hand under your chin and tipped your head up so you were looking at him. As he did, he leaned closer to you and right away, you knew what he was doing. You didn't fight it, instead you leaned forward to meet him halfway. Everything seem to go in slow motion as you two continued to close the gap between your lips. All you could hear was the loud sound of your heart beating faster and faster as you too got closer. Cas's own heart was beating even faster than yours was, not that you knew that. Your faces were only inches apart and your lips were just barely touching when suddenly:  
  
CLANG!  
  
You heard the sound of the bunker door closing followed by a familiar voice.  
  
"Hello! Is anyone here?!" It was Dean, shouting loud and rather annoyingly. You and Cas pulled apart, never succeeding in completing the kiss.  
  
"It sounds like the boys are back." You said with a sigh. "Down here!" You shouted up at them.  
  
"Hey Cas!" Dean said cheerfully when he saw him. Cas waved at him. "How are you, buddy?"  
  
"I'm good." Cas replied.  
  
"Yeah, until you showed up." You muttered under your breath. Cas was the only person who heard you and he smiled. "So, what did you two find out while you were out there?" You said aloud.  
  
"Not much. You?" Sam said, noticing how close you and Cas were when they came in while Dean was obviously oblivious to it.   
  
"Nada!" You replied. Then you noticed that Sam was carrying a bunch of bags. "What are the bags for?"  
  
"Oh, we stopped to get some food on the way back." Dean said with an excited smile.  
  
"Why is he so happy?" You asked Sam.  
  
"He got pie." Sam said simply.  
  
"Ah, that explains it." You replied.  
  
"Yes, and there are more bags in the Impala and we could use some help unloading them." Dean said. You nodded then looked at Cas.  
  
"I'll go help them." He said.  
  
"OK. We'll continue our little conversation later." You said, giving him a wink.  
  
"Of course." He replied with a smirk. Then he got up and left the room, giving you a warm smile as he walked off to help the boys.  
  
You turned and looked down at the papers on the table, rolling your eyes. "Crap!" You said quietly to yourself. "We were so close!"


End file.
